In the past, many types of devices have been provided for positioning and guiding routers, drills, or other tools utilized for forming mortises along the edge of a door frame to receive the door hinges, and hardware associated with the lock-set, such as a strike plate. Various types of prior devises have also been provided for positioning and guiding drill bits and tools, such as hole saws, for use in making intersecting holes in the door for receipt and passage of the components of a lock-set. Some prior devices have incorporated template, guides, or other elements for forming both the required mortises, and holes in both the door and it's associated frame or jamb.
In general, prior devices and methods for providing mortises in a door and its associated frame have not been satisfactory, however.
Some prior systems are not sturdy enough for repeated use in both commercial and consumer applications. Some rely on a template base nailed to an edge of the door, or the frame, with one or more of a series of adapter plates or template inserts being secured to the template base by various methods. Although such an approach is workable, in theory, experience has shown that the provisions for attaching the inserts into the template base, in prior devices, is overly complex and/or often does not result in a secure enough connection to preclude loosening the parts in service, or over time, which then leads to unacceptable inaccuracy in the position and/or shape of the mortises and holes formed by the prior devices. Examples of such prior devices are shown by U.S. Pat. No. Des. 395,246 and 5,042,543 to Carey, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,954,498 to Trettin, et al. Some prior devices for installing hinges and lock-sets in doors, while providing an acceptable required degree of accuracy, are too complex in their construction, and/or undesirably expensive, particularly for use by a home owner by individuals not regularly occupied with the installation of doors. One such prior device is illustrated by a hinge-space butt template set, sold by the Porter-Cable company under their part numbers 59380 and 59381. Other examples of such devices are illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,961, to Schoeller; U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,215, to Saylor et al.; U.S. Pat. No. D 516,401 S, to Snider et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,632 B1, to Zivojinovic; and U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0105979 A1, to Snider et al.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved method and apparatus for installing doors in door frames. In particular, what is needed is an improved apparatus for providing properly positioned mortises and/or holes through a door and its associated doorjamb. It is particularly desirable that such an improved apparatus and method be amenable to either commercial, or a noncommercial use.